How To Control Dog Food Aggression

"Dog Food Aggression"

If your dog growls or snarls whenever you or another dog approach him in the presence of food , your dog may be exhibiting signs of aggression.

This is a potentially serious form of dog aggression but is one that can be controlled with proper dog behavior modification techniques. Once accomplished your dog will be happier and safe from the unwanted consequences of aggressive behavior toward humans or other dogs.

If you believe that dog food aggression is evident in your dog’s behavior you should initially take him for a visit to the veterinarian. There are some medical conditions that can provoke this type of behavior in dogs.

Once cleared of any medical predisposition to aggressive behavior in the presence of food, you can move on to identifying the root cause of food aggression in your dog.
Dogs will exhibit food aggression, which is a form of dominant dog behavior, for a variety of reasons.

Here are a few common causes.

• Your dog may be insecure and believe that this bowl of food is the last bowl of food he will see for awhile.

• Your dog may need socializing to learn how to relate to humans and other dogs.

• Your dog may be lacking in exercise which is provoking excitability and a form of nervous dog aggression.

• Your dog may have suffered from abuse. This is a common problem with adopted and rescue dogs.

To determine the exact cause of food aggression in your dog you may want to consult with a qualified
Dog Behavior Specialist .

Some dog behavior specialists believe that you can address almost any dog behavior issue including dog food aggression by following a few simple techniques.

Initially, you should give the dog sufficient exercise to relieve pent up energy.

The next step is discipline which involves rewarding positive behavior in your dog but not by hurting your dog as punishment, in any way .

Dog owners that use physical punishment are not only inhumane but are also promoting and escalating the dog food aggression to an even higher and potentially more serious and dangerous level.

Lastly you would re-establish yourself as the dominant leader of the pack in your household. One way to do this is to have the dog wait for his food until you have completely finished eating.

In summary, dog aggression to food may be caused any medical ot behavioral issues. Once identified, you can work to resolve this type of dog aggression using proper and humane dog training techniques.

If in doubt, consult your veterinarian a
Professional Dog Trainer or dog behavioral specialist. Don’t wait for the condition to escalate. Make sure that you never punish dog aggression by hitting or striking your dog. This will only make the condition worse, more difficult to modify and is unacceptable. Your dog deserves your love, affection and leadership. Take the proper steps today to correct dog aggression and you and your dog will both be happier.

How to Deal with Dog Food Aggression in Your Dog

It may seem completely normal for your dog to be aggressive around and protective of his food. Generally that's a trait most wild animals would display because food is such a precious resource to them. Allowing your dog's food aggression to continue unaddressed, though, is unwise. Particularly if your dog is aggressive towards you around food, this can lead to a dangerous situation for you or another member of your family. In order to understand how to address this problem, you need to understand what motivations your dog is really acting on.

Dominance

Just like with many other problem behaviors, your dog's food aggression is a result of a struggle for dominance. In a pack, the leader or alpha eats first. If your dog is aggressive towards other animals when food is involved, it's often because your dog is trying to assert his dominance over them in the household hierarchy. In a case like this, it is a good idea to separate the aggressive animal during meal times.

If your dog is aggressive towards you around food, it means that the dog feels he is fighting you for dominance. This isn’t a situation you can afford to tolerate. Even if your dog is small, it can become a big problem quickly. You need to take steps to ensure that your dog knows you are in charge. There are a variety of training techniques you can use to accomplish this quickly and safely.

Chain of Bad Behavior

Correcting your dog's perception of your relationship can have a positive effect on just about every aspect of your dog's behavior. If your dog is aggressive when you are around his food, it's likely that the dog is challenging your authority in other ways as well.

This may seem like an overwhelming situation. In reality, you can fix all of these behaviors at once by establishing your role as alpha in all situations. Once your dog knows that you are in charge, you'll find his bad behaviors occur much less often and are easier to correct. If you really think your dog may pose a physical threat to you or a member of your family though, you should consult a professional dog trainer.

Desperation

Another reason your dog may be aggressive around food is that he doesn't know if or when he will get more. This confusion causes your dog to guard and hoard his food like he would do in the wild. Structuring meal times and keeping him on a schedule can help to reassure your dog that he doesn't need to worry about where his next meal is coming from.

There are a lot of effective ways to deal with dog food aggression in your dog. Depending on the cause of the behavior and the extent or severity of the aggression, you may want to consult a professional dog trainer for advice or help in dealing with dog food aggression. You are not the only one who will benefit from addressing this problem either. Your dog will be much happier and healthier once he knows that he doesn't need to worry about protecting his food.

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